Marked for Life

Bestselling author Emelie Schepp introduces us to the enigmatic, unforgettable Jana Berzelius in this first novel of a chilling trilogy. When a high-ranking head of the migration board is found shot to death in his living room, there is no shortage of suspects. But no one expects to find the mysterious child-sized handprint in the childless home. A few days later, the body of a preteen boy is discovered, and with him, the murder weapon that killed him and the original victim. To protect her own hidden past, public prosecutor Jana Berzelius must find the suspect behind these murders, before the police do.

Comment

Great start to this Scandi-noir police procedural trilogy. Has a strong female protagonist who is kind of a cross between (Kathleen) Mallory & Lisbeth Salander.
Crimes the cops are investigating include child trafficking & abuse of immigrants seeking asylum which gives the plot a chilling relevance to current events.
Only quibble is uneven translation with odd word choices & awkward phrasing that pulls you out of the story periodically. Still an impressive debut & I look forward to reading "Marked for Revenge".

This is the first piece of Nordic crime that I have ever read and I was impressed! The novel mimics a police procedural novel but it’s very unique in the sense that it switches gears during the second half of the novel. It's for sure worth the read!